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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — shares
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fork — in a road
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stock — goods
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com